Review by Vlinstry -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival und...
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Vlinstry
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- Latest Review: We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz
Review by Vlinstry -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival und...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz follows several different groups throughout the book, all very different from each other, and each living in the fantasy world of Voulhire. We follow Galen, a refugee from the Land of the Princes, who has come to continue his uncle's work as a blacksmith after his uncle passed away, leaving everything to Galen. We meet the King of Voulhire, Wilhem, and his son, not to mention the devious High Chancellor Maido. Along the coast, we follow Lord Eldus Alderman and his family, who have been charged with helping the town of Hillport prosper. There is the Riva Rohavi – an organization that is against the crown and everything it stands for. And then we have the legend of Lord Meldorath, a powerful mage who used to be one of the King's trusted Lords and friends before he turned evil and had to be killed. But there are rumors that he isn't dead. Between all of these stories, we are able to piece together what life in Voulhire is like, and all the little things going on behind the scenes.
This book is very good and kept me well engaged throughout. The characters are all well thought out and well rounded. They are described in enough detail so that I could picture them clearly in my mind while reading, and they all had their good and bad qualities, showing each of them was human and very relatable. There was clearly set out villains but even they made me second guess at times as they are not written in a way that made them one dimensional and only suited to being a villain. Sometimes it seemed like they were just as vulnerable and well-meaning as the rest of the characters. The thing I liked most about this book was the descriptions – be it descriptions of the places, of the people, or the personalities. There was so much description that it was almost as though I was watching the story in my head rather than reading it. I also really liked that all the chapter headings made it clear who we were about to read about so there could be no confusion. Along with this, the whole book was in the third person, except for Galen, who was always in the first person. This indicates that, while we are following many different people, Galen is our true main character.
When it comes to dislikes about this book, I come up blank. There was nothing about it that stood out as something that annoyed or upset me. The whole book was truly engaging and kept me wanting to read more. I was so engrossed in all the characters' story arcs that I genuinely found it hard to put the book down.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was so well written and so well thought out. It was clear that a lot of planning and care has gone into this book. The author has put in a lot of work with this first installment of the Voulhire series and it truly shows in the writing and storytelling, and all the characters.
Overall, this was an amazing book. It has so much going on that you are always kept interested and entertained, but not too much so that it gets confusing. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy books that really explore the world they are set in and have lots of information about all the little things going on in the world. There is some swearing and a few sexual references and adult themes in the book so it is not, perhaps, for younger readers. Adults who love fantasy, however, will love this book and I cannot recommend it enough.
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz follows several different groups throughout the book, all very different from each other, and each living in the fantasy world of Voulhire. We follow Galen, a refugee from the Land of the Princes, who has come to continue his uncle's work as a blacksmith after his uncle passed away, leaving everything to Galen. We meet the King of Voulhire, Wilhem, and his son, not to mention the devious High Chancellor Maido. Along the coast, we follow Lord Eldus Alderman and his family, who have been charged with helping the town of Hillport prosper. There is the Riva Rohavi – an organization that is against the crown and everything it stands for. And then we have the legend of Lord Meldorath, a powerful mage who used to be one of the King's trusted Lords and friends before he turned evil and had to be killed. But there are rumors that he isn't dead. Between all of these stories, we are able to piece together what life in Voulhire is like, and all the little things going on behind the scenes.
This book is very good and kept me well engaged throughout. The characters are all well thought out and well rounded. They are described in enough detail so that I could picture them clearly in my mind while reading, and they all had their good and bad qualities, showing each of them was human and very relatable. There was clearly set out villains but even they made me second guess at times as they are not written in a way that made them one dimensional and only suited to being a villain. Sometimes it seemed like they were just as vulnerable and well-meaning as the rest of the characters. The thing I liked most about this book was the descriptions – be it descriptions of the places, of the people, or the personalities. There was so much description that it was almost as though I was watching the story in my head rather than reading it. I also really liked that all the chapter headings made it clear who we were about to read about so there could be no confusion. Along with this, the whole book was in the third person, except for Galen, who was always in the first person. This indicates that, while we are following many different people, Galen is our true main character.
When it comes to dislikes about this book, I come up blank. There was nothing about it that stood out as something that annoyed or upset me. The whole book was truly engaging and kept me wanting to read more. I was so engrossed in all the characters' story arcs that I genuinely found it hard to put the book down.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was so well written and so well thought out. It was clear that a lot of planning and care has gone into this book. The author has put in a lot of work with this first installment of the Voulhire series and it truly shows in the writing and storytelling, and all the characters.
Overall, this was an amazing book. It has so much going on that you are always kept interested and entertained, but not too much so that it gets confusing. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy books that really explore the world they are set in and have lots of information about all the little things going on in the world. There is some swearing and a few sexual references and adult themes in the book so it is not, perhaps, for younger readers. Adults who love fantasy, however, will love this book and I cannot recommend it enough.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
